Montreal

Diagnostic

MUSHROOMS, CIRCLES OF FAIRY

The presence of mushrooms can be annoying, but they do not damage the lawn. They grow on organic matter in the soil, usually roots, timber debris or decomposing root felts.

Fairy rings, which are produced by many fungi in the soil, weaken and sometimes kill the grass in concentric patterns. They are more likely to grow in soils rich in organic matter or where there is a lot of root-felt accumulation, and they occur more frequently during long dry periods, especially in the summer, following a wet spring. The symptoms of this disease are a ring where the growth of the grass is abnormal, or the presence of mushrooms arranged in an arc. The rings usually grow a few millimeters a year.

Control methods

Remove decaying residues to reduce fungal growth. To stimulate the new growth of the grass and hide the damage, it is possible to water abundantly and often, to spread fertilizer, to rake vigorously or to ventilate.

FOAM

Mosses appear most often on lawns where conditions are not suitable for grass growth.

The deep shade, lack of fertility and sodden, poorly drained and compacted soils are favorable factors for the growth of mosses and slow down that of the grass.

Control methods

To correct the situation, it is necessary to begin by eliminating the causes of the bad growth of the grass. If trees or shrubs create shade, they can be pruned or removed to allow more light to pass through the crowns. Where shade can not be removed, consider using groundcover such as periwinkle, pachysandre or ivy, or more light-tolerant herbaceous plants such as fine-leaved fescues. To improve drainage, it is possible to divert runoff, bury pipes under the lawn or raise the surface of the lawn by adding soil. Soil poverty can also be involved because the roots of trees and shrubs take up moisture and nutrients from the soil.

MILDEW

White or powdery mildew is most often found on Kentucky bluegrass. In cool weather, white-gray dusty masses sometimes appear on leaves and stems in shaded areas, especially in the fall. In severe cases, the leaves may turn yellow and even die.

Control methods

Choose resistant varieties. Improve air circulation and reduce shade by trimming nearby trees and shrubs. Preserving the vigor of the lawn by providing the nutrients it needs and avoid causing too much growth, as it increases the vulnerability of the lawn to disease.

Has yellowed grass areas with irregular shapes and variable dimensions

Has yellowish-brownish areas in the spring that don't get greener with the summer season

Seems to attract more birds than neighboring lands, and even skunks

Has a stubble that feels "spongy" underfoot. A very humid lawn favors the multiplication of larvae

You have signs of white grubs.

How to diagnose?

Where there is damage, try to pull on the grass: if it comes off like a section of sod, white grubs are surely involved. Then cut with a knife three sides of a plate of turf of about 30cm. Lift while driving backwards. If you count more than five to ten larvae, you have an infestation.

White worms breed quickly especially during warm weather. Also, white grubs are weaker and more easily removed as larvae, rather than mature.

Verification of grubs is included in the Trylawn Basic Lawn Care Plan.

Chinch bugs

What's this?

The hairy bug, also known as the stink bug, is a species that feeds on the sap of grass blades. She is very small. The immature insects are rather brown while the adults have white on the wings, on their backs.

Why bedbugs are damaging to the lawn?

The stink bugs feed on the sap of the blades of grass that make up the lawns (grass grasses), and by doing so, inject a substance into the stalk to coagulate the water, which kills the strand of 'grass.

Does my lawn have chinch bugs?

If your lawn

Has signs of drought (patches of yellowed, dried or dead grass) despite watering

Has a rather thick thatch, or a long, dense turf

It is likely to be invaded by chinch bugs

How to diagnose?

The damage caused by the bugs appears towards the end of June until the month of August. The affected areas will mainly be in sunny areas, and will grow faster when the temperature is hot and dry.

Because bedbugs are very small, you need a magnifying glass to observe the base of your lawn and see them better. Sometimes during hot weather in the summer, you will see adult insects on surfaces such as asphalt near damaged lawn areas.

You can also take a big tin can empty, and plant it in the lawn, then fill it with water, gently shaking the grass. Bedbugs will float above the water. If you find more than 15 insects per square foot, then we can talk about an infestation.

What to do ?

Contact us! TRYLAWN can treat your lawn against the chinch bugs.

Why act quickly?

Bedbugs reproduce quickly especially during heat. Also, bedbugs are more easily removed as larvae or immature, rather than once mature.